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Well done to School of Hospitality lecturer Teeny Teh, who is a finalist for this year’s President’s Award for Teachers (PAT). Photo courtesy of Ministry of Education, Singapore.
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Teeny’s creative and engaging teaching methods continue to inspire both her current and former students.
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Teeny believes that students are more energised and motivated when they are engaged in their learning.
School of Hospitality lecturer Teeny Teh is truly an inspirational educator. Her creative and engaging teaching methods continue to inspire both her current and former students. These are some of the reasons why Teeny was selected as a finalist for this year’s President’s Award for Teachers (PAT)! The distinguished award recognises excellent educators for their passion and commitment to teaching, inspiring and nurturing their students.
Teeny often uses creative teaching methods to cater to the different types of students in her class. She ensures that each and every one of them can understand the lesson’s concepts in the most optimal way possible. One of her most prominent lessons involved a choreographed dance she performed in various animal costumes to teach her students about Event Marketing for the module “Leisure Events and Entertainment Management”. The lesson was a big hit and garnered the attention of various online news sites that spotted her students’ social media posts about the lesson. The dance routine was also a lesson in viral marketing, which gave her students the opportunity to launch their own viral video.
As an advocate for non-conventional teaching, Teeny always tries to put herself in the shoes of a student. “I try to structure my lessons [according to] how I would like to learn if I were a student. Which is why I try to incorporate fun, creative and hands-on activities in my lessons,” Teeny shared. “I feel that when learners have a chance to be engaged through the sense in which they learn best, they are more energised and self-motivated,” she adds.
When asked about how she was inspired to create these brilliant class activities, she credits her father who taught her to infuse fun in everything she does. Since young, her father would get Teeny and her sister to use all of their senses -- sight, sound, smell, taste and touch – when trying to teach them lessons in topics such as science and plants. This in turn helped her be more curious and aware of her surroundings, and eventually incorporate these elements into her lessons.
It is also her sincere wish for her students to not only be familiar with the lesson concepts, but to also take away vital life lessons from her classes that will help them succeed in life. Teeny believes that “life lessons like positive thinking, being grateful for what you have, being adaptable to change, being curious and ask questions, and always doing your best are some of the life lessons I try to incorporate into my lessons.”
Congratulations Teeny for being a finalist in the 2020 President’s Award for Teachers! We look forward to more of your fun and engaging classes! To find out more about Teeny, you can take a look at the 2020 PAT publication at https://go.gov.sg/2020-pat